§20136 Contributions Awards

Summary

The Administrator may give money awards to anyone who makes a scientific or technical contribution that the agency finds to be very useful for aeronautical or space work. A person can apply, or the Administrator can start the award process. Every application goes to the Inventions and Contributions Board. The Board must let the applicant have a hearing and then recommend award terms to the Administrator. When deciding the award, the Administrator will look at the contribution’s value to the United States, how much the applicant spent to develop it, any prior payments the applicant got for its use (not counting government salary), and other important factors. If more than one person claims the same contribution, the Administrator will decide their shares and split the award fairly. An applicant must give up any other claims for payment for the use of the contribution (except the award itself), in a way the Administrator accepts. No award over $100,000 can be made until the Administrator sends a full report to the proper congressional committees and 30 calendar days of regular congressional session pass after they get the report.